


Call of the Sea

by Paperturtledove



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Cara | CaptainPuffy-centric, Character Study, Gen, Non-Linear Narrative, Parent Cara | CaptainPuffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 07:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30102225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperturtledove/pseuds/Paperturtledove
Summary: No. She held the coat and thought only this. No, this can’t be.With her few months of memory, Puffy might not know much, but she knew this. Whoever this person was, it wasn’t her.(aka haha Puffy lore go brrr)
Relationships: Cara | CaptainPuffy & Clay | Dream, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Niki | Nihachu, Cara | CaptainPuffy & TommyInnit
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Call of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> When the therapist needs therapy

_ No _ . She held the coat and thought only this.  _ No, this can’t be. _

With her few months of memory, Puffy might not know much, but she knew this. Whoever this person was, it wasn’t her.

  
  
  


“Hey mom.” 

“Hello, my little duckling.” She’d not known Dream long, but taking him under her wing had felt as natural as breathing.  _ Mama Puffy _ . It felt right.

She looked up at his mask. “Let me see your face.” she requested. 

He complied easily, slipping it off and letting Puffy study his every freckle, every acne scar from youth, every slight imperfection. She smiled. “Thank you.” and he slipped the mask back on, her son disappearing behind a blank smile.

Dream had confided in her that he never had parents. He confided a lot of things in her. It made her feel trusted, important. It might seem odd to an outsider than she’d adopted this grown man, but to them it was perfectly natural. He wanted a parent and she wanted a child. It was a perfect arrangement.

Later she’d learn there were many things she kept from her. Like what he was doing to Tommy. Or what he’d done and was planning to do to L’manburg. And many more things, she was sure.

It was when she stood in front of a crater, as empty and dark as her memories, that she realized she didn’t know her duckling at all.

  
  
  


Foolish was an enigma. When she’d asked where he came from, he’d shrugged and said nowhere. She’d made an offhand joke about adopting him and before she knew it, another pseudo god had wormed their way into her heart. 

This time, she was confident Foolish was a good soul. He built for hours on end, proudly displaying his creations for all to see. He had that same itch Puffy did, the one that begged to take care of something, to nurture it. And being the good Papa Puffy she was, a totem was readily found.

It sprung to life in Foolish’s hands, shifting its body and eyes around. “Welcome to the world, Foolish Jr.” he cooed. “It can suck sometimes. A lot actually, but I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Puffy had felt pride grow warm in her chest. She was technically a grandma now. But Foolish could take care of both his son and himself perfectly well. She could tell he appreciated her, but didn’t truly need her (she’d thought Dream needed her, once. As it turns out, maybe no one did).

  
  
  


There was Tommy. Tommy had suffered so much . She wanted so badly to reach out and comfort him, but his attitude of bravado made her think he might become more closer off if she approached him first. So she kept her office open, always said good morning to him when she passed the hotel, and waited.

Puffy was not licensed for this. But it seemed she was the only one willing to help, and if she offered her help to people, maybe someone one day would once again need her.

She waited, and waited, until one day it was too late. Too late to do anything but build a statue and take up her sword once more.

  
  
  


She’d had friends after joining the server. Puffy was good at making friends, she thinks. 

All their eyes were red now. They spoke in low, threatening tones and circled her like prey. She’d watched Sam be dropped down right in front of her, coming out groaning in pain about voices. They all talked about voices. 

The vines were ugly. They crawled over the land like an infection, a plague upon all the server’s residents.  _ Not right, _ her mind whispered when she saw them. As badly as she wanted to slash at them, she knew doing so would only attract  _ them _ . 

She watched those who she had called her friends celebrate a child’s death, breaking into his house and redecorating. Anger had welled up in her, and she had not cared that there were four of them and one of her, or that they all held their tridents with an eagerness in their grip. Surprisingly, they listened and cleared out. Then it was just Puffy, in the empty house of a dead child, fully realizing that her friends were beyond saving.  
  
  


Niki was nice, a sweet and gentle soul. Their few dates had been perfectly pleasant, going back and forth between Puffy hosting dinner at her place and Niki treating her to her baking. She’d wondered if she was moving a bit fast when she gave her the promise ring, but Niki had just beamed with joy and immediately put it on. So it was probably okay.

She’d known there was trouble in L’manburg, especially since Niki had become more and more withdrawn. Puffy had given her space, but she tried to check in often. Apparently it wasn’t enough, as she hadn’t seen hide or hair of her since the chaos of Doomsday. 

There were a few mentions of her, specifically Jack Manifold had told her he’d been hanging around Niki, and that she was fine.  _ If she wanted to see me, she would’ve come to find me,  _ Puffy had thought.  _ But I’ll be here if she does. _

The promise ring hung around a necklace under her clothes, next to her heart. She cared about Niki, but she was hesitant to call it love. To love someone you had to know them, and there were many, many things Niki had never told her (then again, she thought she’d loved her duckling, so maybe love was blinder 

than that). If they’d had longer together, then maybe, probably, it could’ve grown and nurtured into love. 

But for now, she would wait again. 

  
  
  


The ship was worn, but not old. It smelled of the damp moss that grew from in between the planks and made a creaking sound as it bobbed in the water, but it was not old. Just not taken care of. 

It felt so familiar, the ship, the map, the clothes. Even the handwriting in the books was her own. 

_ This isn’t who I am,  _ was her first, visceral reaction.  _ I can’t be this.  _ A mother, a family. Had she been missing them subconsciously this whole time? Was that why she so eagerly accepted new family into her life?

It ached, there was nothing on this server for her anymore. Dream was dead to her, Foolish fine on his own, Niki gone, her friends possessed, Tommy dead. 

As she came back onto the deck and took a deep breath of salty air, she was struck with the sudden urge to lift anchor and leave. The sails were all intact and the ship had no holes, she could tell after a bit of cleaning up and maintenance it would be good to go. An unknown part of her longed for the splash of foam on her face and the wind in her hair.  _ It would be so easy. They don’t need you. _

Her grip on the red coat tightened. With a shuddering breath, she pulled it on. It fit perfectly. 

  
  
  


In the end, Puffy stayed. Abandoning the server felt like the easy way out. She’d be far away from the egg, the conflict, the memories, but even without her they would remain. And what was a captain for if not keeping order amongst their crew?

So she buttoned her coat, laced her boots, and adjusted her hat. Maybe she’d been wrong all along. Maybe it wasn’t that they didn’t need Mama Puffy, but that they needed Captain Puffy instead.

And she latched a sword to her side, striding out to meet the new day. A day where she would find a message, simply written “help me”, and felt relief fill her. There was someone who needed her after all.


End file.
